A new international report has identified the Bangladesh-Libya-Italy route as one of the world’s largest irregular migration corridors, describing it as a highly profitable network that transports thousands of migrants annually while generating hundreds of millions of dollars for smuggling groups.
The report, published by Global Voices, said around 15,300 Bangladeshi migrants reached Italy through the Central Mediterranean route in 2022, compared with only 349 arrivals in 2018. The sharp increase has made Bangladesh the third most represented nationality among irregular migrants entering Europe.
According to the report, the route generates an estimated $190 million annually, with revenues expected to exceed $300 million in the coming years if current migration trends continue. Migrants reportedly pay between $5,000 and $17,000 to travel along the Bangladesh-Libya-Italy corridor.
The investigation highlighted what migrants described as a system known as the “game house”, where hundreds of people are held while awaiting departure by sea. Former migrants said families were frequently pressured to send additional money during periods of detention.
One returnee recalled that migrants spent weeks in detention facilities after arriving in Libya before being transferred to boats bound for Europe. Another claimed that Bangladeshi brokers operating inside Libya played a central role in coordinating payments and transport.
The report noted that migration routes continue to evolve in response to tighter border controls. The main pathway reportedly runs from Bangladesh through Dubai and Egypt before reaching Benghazi, while nearly half of irregular Bangladeshi migrants now enter Libya through Turkey.
Researchers also described what they called a “human resale market” in Libya. Some migrants reportedly arrive legally by air after being promised temporary jobs, only to have their passports confiscated and be forced into unpaid labour.
The report estimated that the smuggling economy linked to the Bangladesh-Libya-Italy route currently generates between $160 million and $190 million annually. It added that Bangladeshi nationals ranked first among asylum seekers in Italy in 2023, with 23,450 applications recorded, while arrivals continued to rise sharply during 2025.
